Barcode Anonymous
by HiddenFlowerDesi
Summary: After being slung back into the past, Cloud and co must find a way to not only keep Sephiroth from destroying the planet, but do it in a way that prevents the geostigma from happening and clogging and corroding the planet. To make matters worse, Zack and Aerith have to find a way to cheat death before their original death dates, or back to the lifestream they go. Zerith CloTi
1. Tick-Tock, Drop Like a Rock

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters.**

 **A/N:** **Okay, I KNOW that there are WAY too many time travel fics involving FFVII, but I could never find the things I wanted in everyone else's, so this cliché monstrosity was born.**

 **No beta, so I apologize in advance for the spelling/grammar mistakes I will no doubt accidentally overlook even after proof-reading this fifty million times...**

 **All I can really say is that I hope you enjoy it XD**

 **Also, if you visit my tumblr** mystorystar **not only will you get story updates, but drawings, concept pages, suggested music, etc for this story. Anything relating to** _ **Barcode Anonymous**_ **will be tagged with** **#Barcode ANON**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _Tick-Tock, Drop Like a Rock_

 _This_ , Zack thought as he watched Cloud rub his head, his gloved fingers coming away bloody, _is not good._

"Dude, I am _so_ sorry! I totally didn't mean to drop you!" Zack frantically apologized, sounding, and feeling, very much like he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

One second, he was dead, floating around in the lifestream without a care in the world. The next, he was in the middle of nowhere, dragging a semi-comatose Cloud to Gaia knows where. He was so taken aback that he accidentally dropped the poor guy, causing him nick his head on a horribly placed rock. The guilt Zack felt was instant.

Zack wasted little time helping his companion into a proper sitting position so that he could estimate the damage. Thankfully, the gash on Cloud's temple looked a hell of a lot worse than it really was. _Thank you_! _The last thing I needed was to start whatever the hell this is by makin_ _'_ _the kid need stitches_. He pulled out his handkerchief and, after dampening it with some water from his canteen, wiped Cloud's face clean of dirt and blood.

"Can't have you looking a mess." Why was his voice shaking so badly?! _**Breathe**_ _, Zack. No need to freak out. It could be worse._ He cast Cloud look. His eyes were as distant and foggy as ever, yet there was something akin to recognition in them _._

"Z... Zack?"

The ex-SOLDIER made a very indignant noise before leaning close to the blond, not wanting to miss whatever it was he had to say, but alas, he made no further attempts to communicate with the ravenet before his eyes fluttered shut. A surge of panic and frustration flooded Zack's senses and he resisted the urge to shake the smaller man. He instead decided to focus on finding shelter so that he could freak out without the risk being ambushed by ShinRa troopers. Well, there was that and the fact that the sun appeared to be setting.

"Shelter, shelter, shelter," Zack mumbled as he slung Cloud over his shoulder and examined the surrounding area. "Where the hell are we even at? That looks like a forest over there. You don't mind roughin' it, do ya?"

Silence.

"Good, because I don't think we have much of a choice, buddy."

Honestly, it took way longer than Zack expected to reach the tree line. It was pitch black by the time he found a good place to rest and he was more than grateful towards his enhanced vision. He tripped over enough roots as it was. He could only imagine how hard it would've been if he'd been a normal- _stupidfuckin_ _'_ _Hojo_ -guy.

He propped Cloud up against a tree stump and began digging through their backpack. "130 gil. A box of crackers. A couple cans of soup. Is this _jello_ \- Wait... No. It's strawberry applesauce. How the hell do you eat this stuff, Cloud? It's disgus- _Oh_! You're awake!"

Cloud stared at Zack, looking a combination of concerned and severely disoriented. Zack grinned sheepishly at him as he pulled out a battery powered lantern and turned it on, placing it between them.

"Are you hungry?"

Cloud's gaze fell to his feet and his mouth twitched into a frown. "Why am... I..." He weakly shook his head. "Z... Zack... You're not... You..."

"Died?" Zack supplied, immediately getting at what the blond was trying to say. "I know, right? Like, what the fuck is going on...?" _Wait a minute..._ Zack shot to his feet, knocking the lantern over and staring down at his friend in disbelief. "Holy shit, Cloud! You remember me dying?! Then that means... Did... Did we get sent back in time?!"

The sheer volume of Zack's voice caused a bolt of pain to shot through Cloud's head. He winced, one eye closing, and slowly rose his hands to his ears.

Zack clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyebrows furrowing. "Sorry. I guess your head hurts enough as it is without me finishin' it off."

"I guess I'm still... a bit poi... poi... _pois_..." A small growl of frustration rumbled from Cloud's throat. "Stupid fuckin'..." Another growl. "...mako."

Before he knew it, Zack was hugging Cloud, his shoulders shaking. Cloud stiffened from the sudden contact, but eventually relaxed in his friend's arms, his forehead resting against Zack's collarbone. He took a shuddering breath as he inhaled the long forgotten scent of tropical trees, sweat, and raspberry shampoo. Slowly, but surely, Cloud's arms wrapped around him to return the hug, all the while telling himself he wasn't going to cry.

 _Yeah_ , Zack thought as his shirt absorbed the salty moisture leaking from Cloud's trembling form, _This could've been a hell of a lot worse..._

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **ZACK:** (crying over dramatically) **I love you so much,** _ **Spiky**_ **! You're like the little brother I never had!**

 **CLOUD:** **Zack...** _ **Please...**_ **You're** _ **crushing**_ **me!** (-;)

 **A/N:** (snickers) **Okay, so be sure to review and don't be afraid to ask me any questions you may have. I will do my absolute best to respond to you guys** :) **Once again, if you visit my tumblr** mystorystar **, you will be able to view a lot of the bonus content that goes with this story. Also, don't be afraid to send me PM's or asks. I actually encourage it.**

 **SEPHIROTH:** **REVIEW!**

 **A/N:** (O_o) _**Dude**_ **, you are** _ **way**_ **too early! We still have a long way to go until you make an appearance.**

 **SEPHIROTH:** (pouts)

 **A/N:** _ **Fine**_ **... You can help with the outros...**

 **SEPHIROTH:** :D


	2. I Wanna Be A Bounty Hunter

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT on Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters. I do, however, own this plot.**

 **Starting from this chapter onward, I will answer/acknowledge all of my lovely reviewers in the beginning notes...**

 _Suzululu4moe_ **, I think you kindly for taking the time to review and Cloud wishes to inform you that the rock wasn't really that big, so a normal person most like would've been fine, too.**

 **I'd also like to say that while I have most of this story pre-planned I am open to suggestions to fill in the blank spots I'm still working on as long as they don't interfere with the story's plot.**

 **Once again, think you all for reading this jumbled mess of a story and I hope you all enjoy!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _I Wanna Be A Bounty Hunter_

It had been a couple of weeks since the men hand been slung into the past and they had spent every second of every day preparing to sneak into Midgar to find Aerith, who Zack was certain had answers as to what was going on. Their plan, much to Zack's delight, involved them getting a change of wardrobe, seeing as their 1st class uniforms had a tendency to draw unnecessary attention.

Zack sported a red tank-top, blue jeans, a pair of sturdy work boots that the clerk swore up and down would last for the next twenty years, and a black leather jacket that Zack had insisted he buy because it was, to quote him, "boss as fuck." He still retained his gloves and the SOLDIER issued harness, which still had a firm hold on the Buster Sword even through his jacket. "These things sure do have some power behind them. I wonder what would happen if I stuck two of them together?"

"The magnet on your harness?" Cloud asked, earning an affirmative nod from the ebony haired man. Cloud's eyebrows scrunched. "They wouldn't stick together, Zack."

Zack frowned at the blond, who wore jeans that matched Zack's, a white sleeveless vest, not unlike the black one he wore in the future, a black sleeveless zip up hoodie whose zipper he kept fiddling with, black cowboy boots- _I swear on my mother's grave, I will_ kill _him if he moos at me one more time_!- a dark grey compression sleeve on his right arm that stopped just below the elbow and black leather fingerless gloves.

"What? _Why not_?!" Zack whined.

"Because magnets-!" Cloud stopped, desperately resisting the urge to face-palm. "Opposite poles attract, similar poles reject. If you tried to stick two harness magnets together, they would just push each other away and no you _can't_ just use the other side of the magnet, because the harnesses are made so that only the outer part of the magnet can stick to things."

"Why, though?"

"Don't ask _me_ , I didn't design the things."

"Fair enough," Zack replied before grinning, holding his arms outstretched. " _Soooooooo_?"

" _So_ what?" Cloud asked, his eyebrow quirked.

"Do I look the part? Like a bounty hunter, I mean." More grinning. "I've always wanted to be a bounty hunter. Fightin' monsters, huntin' criminals-"

"We _are_ criminals-"

"-Livin' for the moment, badass costumes-"

"Wait a minute, since when have you wanted to be a bounty hunter?!"

"-Travelin' by the moonlight-"

" _Zachary Isaac Fair_ , do you even hear me?" Cloud almost yelled, dropping his voice last second to prevent it from carrying across the barren wasteland, which carried sound surprisingly well. The last thing they needed was to alert any of the troopers that were no doubt combing the surrounding area of their location. "Since when have you wanted to be a bounty hunter? This is the first I've ever heard you mention such a thing."

Zack stopped his monologuing and cast Cloud a sheepish look. "Okay, so maybe I lied. Maybe I wanted to be a bounty hunter for like a week when I was eight, but that's not the point," he said, waving the blond off, his grin returning full force.

Cloud rolled his eyes and shook his head, a faint smirk sneaking its way onto his lips. "You _do_ realize we do all of that stuff anyways, right? In fact, we are currently 'travelin' by the moonlight' as we speak."

"No, we are _sneakin_ _'_ by the moonlight, Spiky. Get with the program- _Ow_! You punch _hard_ for someone so small- _Stop hittin_ _g_ _me_!" He hissed under his breath, cracking up at the fury on the smaller man's usually gentle features.

"You deserve it," Cloud hissed back. "Next time, I'm hitting you with my bat."

"Okay, I submit." Zack rose his hands in mock surrender.

After examining their surroundings with their enhanced vision and confirming there weren't any nearby threats of either the human nor monster variety, they broke away from the outcropping of boulders they had been maneuvering through and sprinted towards the massive city that loomed ominously above them. This was it. They had made in one piece. Together. Cloud couldn't help but mimic Zack infectious smile as they entered Midgar.

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **A/N:** **Okay, so this chapter was originally WAY longer than this, but the way the next part started completely and utterly F'd up the flow, so I'm cutting it shawt.**

 **CLOUD:** **^^ She means short.**

 **A/N:** **Oh** _ **HELL**_ **no! Don't you start with me Mr. Tifa-Had-To-Teach-Me-The-Names-Of-Vegtables!**

 **SEPHIROTH:** (snickers as he hands Cloud a remedy) **You might need this to help that burn.**

 **CLOUD:** (starts waving his demon bat around) **THATS it! I'm hitting both of you with this thing!**

 **A/N:** **Should we run?**

 **SEPHIROTH:** **Most definitely...**

 **ZACK:** **Be sure to leave us a review!**


	3. Ben's Bed & Breakfast

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters. I do, however, own the plot to this story.**

 **On to the review replies...**

 _ChunkyFunkyMunky_ (best user name I've seen in a while btw) - **When it comes to that/those pairing(s), I find myself in a similar boat** XD **I'm not saying I'm going I'm going to make your wishes come true, but I'm also not denying it. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it and see. On another note, when it comes to the length of my chapters, I do agree that they need to be longer, but the way this chapter -which was originally merged with the previous one- starts, it would have messed up the flow. It is longer than the previous ones, though** :) **!**

 **I would also like to thank** _GeneralAllenWalker_ **for taking the time to leave me a review.**

 **I love you all and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _Ben's Bed & Breakfast_

Zack and Cloud hadn't even been in the Sector 6 slums for ten minutes before the oh so very kind universe decided to throw a wrench into their plans. Turns out some psychopath went on a killing spree in the Wall Market an hour prior to their arrival and the guy had run off and hid, resulting in the whole sector being under lock-down until further notice.

"We honestly have the worst freakin' luck," Zack groaned as they walked down a cramped alleyway. Due to the increase of cops running around, the duo was trying their best to stay off the main streets while at the same time looking for a place to spend the night. They hadn't had sleep in over twenty-seven hours and it was honestly starting to take it's toll on them. They'd be sloppy if they wound up in a fight. "On the bright side, there's a lot of hotels in the area."

Cloud shot Zack look. " _Sex_ hotels. They don't usually welcome people with no intention of fuckin' into their establishments."

"You've got a point," Zack replied, rubbing his cheek absentmindedly. He glanced at Cloud. "If push came to shove we could always pretend you're a girl. You're pretty enough for it."

Cloud narrowed his eyes at Zack who, in turn, took a step away from the blond.

"Okay. Bad idea. I get it. Stop givin' me that look."

They wandered around for what felt like hours attempting to check into the various hotels, motels, and inns that littered Sector 6 only to be shot down each and every time. In one case the woman behind the front desk retreated into a back room and locked the door as soon as they crossed through the dingy sliding doors, which stubbornly refused to close all the way. Zack had to force them shut on their way out.

"What's the deal with these people?!" Zack hissed in frustration, flinging his arms out and just _barely_ missing a hanging pipe on a nearby building. "What about us makes people go 'O _h no_! _We can't possibly let these nice young men stay_ _ **here**_!'?!"

Cloud glanced up at his seething friend and became suddenly aware of how obvious and bright the glow of his eyes were in the pitch black. He stopped and raised a hand over his own eyes, taking note of how glow reflected off his glove.

Zack, upon noticing the blond had stopped walking, immediately backtracked, his eyebrow quirked. "What are you doing?"

"Hmmn?" Cloud dropped his hand. "I was... It's hard to explain, but I think I know now why everyone is castin' us dirty looks every time we try to check in somewhere."

"Please do share, because I'm really tired and the sooner we fix the problem, the sooner we can sleep," Zack told him, his eyes drooping.

"People in the slums aren't exactly fond of SOLDIERS and we-" Cloud pointed to Zack then himself. "-have scary glowy mako eyes that _scream_ SOLDIER. Almost everyone down here has somethin' to hide and the last thing they want are a couple of 'SODIERS' moseying back to HQ and rattin' 'em out."

Zack frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "And our history with ShinRa once again comes back to bite us in the ass..."

They both sighed simultaneously, their shoulders slouching.

"Dude, I don't _wanna_ sleep in a gutter," Zack whined, his head lolling back. It was so dark he couldn't even see the bottom of the plate.

"What's this about sleeping in gutters?"

The two men jumped so hard it hurt. They wasted no time searching for the aged voice that had interrupted their conversation. The old man frowned as he examined them, his eyes lingering on Zack's sword and Cloud's, as Zack called it because of the nails and barbed wire wrapped haphazardly around it, Demon Bat. Cloud's mouth pressed into a flat line as he turned to Zack, who sighed in resignation.

"We're, uh, not from here and we're havin' a bit of trouble findin' a place to spend the night," he explained, hating how needy he sounded.

The man looked him in the eyes, looking as if he wanted to say something, but instead settled upon simply shaking his head. "You boys got any money?" Zack nodded and the man hummed thoughtfully as he shifted a brown grocery bag from one arm to the other. "I run a Bed and Breakfast with my wife and we'd be happy to accommodate you for the night, though all we have free is a twin bed. Twenty-five gil and it's all yours."

Zack and Cloud exchanged glances. "Deal."

…...

…...

"Take those muddy boots off. My wife will skin me alive if she wakes up to mud tracked all over her clean floors," The old man, Ben, told them as he placed the brown bag on the cluttered reception desk and motioned for them to follow him up the stairs. "And be sure to keep it quiet. Don't need you disturbing our other guests."

"Yes, sir," Zack and Cloud chorused as they hurriedly followed after him.

Ben unlocked a door at the very end of the hall and stepped back so that they could enter. The duo unloaded their gear, placing everything but the Buster Sword on the small table in the corner of the dimly lit room, and turned back towards Ben who informed him that they served a complimentary breakfast at 8:30am and that he wanted them gone immediately after they finished eating. They nodded their heads and he closed the door, his heavy footsteps echoing as he returned downstairs.

Zack unceremoniously flopped onto the squeaky bed and sighed in relief, his heavy eyelids involuntarily falling shut. "Set an alarm for seven o'clock, Spike. I wanna take a shower before we leave in the morning."

Cloud nodded and fulfilled his friend's request before stepping into the small bathroom. "I'm gonna go ahead and take a bath, then," He announced before closing the door.

He turned the water on and plugged the tub as he pulled his clothes off, scrunching his nose as he realized how heavily they smelt of sweat. They'd have to wash their clothes as soon as they got to the 7th Heaven tomorrow. Tifa, if she even remembered him, was no doubt going to give them a lecture on the necessity of washing their clothes _everyday_. He chuckled at the thought.

"I only have one outfit," he mumbled as he sank bonelessly into the hot water. "I can't exactly run around naked while I wait for my clothes to wash."

Cloud could almost hear Tifa telling him that it ' _sounded like a personal problem_ ' and that he should buy more clothes if that was the case. He smirked.

He lounged in the tub for almost an hour after he washed all the dirt that clung determinedly to skin, only getting out because the water had grown cold. He begrudgingly put his dirty clothes back on and crawled into the bed next to Zack, whose long body took up most of the mattress. Luckily for him, this wasn't his first time sharing a bed with the ex-SOLDIER, so he knew how to scoot the man over without disturbing him too much. As he lie on his side, he felt one of Zack's arms flop over him.

"G'ight, Cloud..." Whispered Zack, his voice thick and slurred from sleep.

"Goodnight, Zack," Cloud whispered back, his eyes fluttering closed. They'd had a long day, but the next one would be better. It had to be. Right?

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **A/N:** **Okay, I know this wasn't much longer than other chapters, but this is just how I write. Some people (like my god of a friend) can write chapters that are 30,000+ words. Others (like myself) only average 900-4,000 words per chapter. You guys are just gonna have to accept this** XD

 **SEPHIROTH:** **Lazy...**

 **A/N:** **Why are you insulting me? Do you WANT me to kick you out of the outros?!**

 **SEPHIROTH:** (sweat drops)(remains silent as he nervously looks away)

 **A/N:** **That's what I THOUGHT. Anyhoo...**

 **ZACK:** (sleep talking) **...Review...! ...ZzzzZZzzzZZZzzz...!**


	4. Tracking My Marks

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. I do, however, own the plot to this story.**

 **Okay, so I'm going to to go ahead and mention that I only have the free time to type this biweekly, so don't freak out if I update every other day and suddenly drop off the face of the Earth for a week. I will return, I swear I will** XD

 **Also, this chapter was originally part of the last one, but I just felt like I should cut it off where I did, so yeah...**

 **I once again wish to think everyone for reading and** _GeneralAllenWalker_ **and** _Her Pretty Smile_ **for leaving me your wonderful reviews.**

 **Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _Tracking My Marks_

Cloud bounced his leg anxiously as he nibbled on his toast. The blonde haired, blue eyed little girl that sat beside him kept commenting on how pretty his eyes were and that she liked his "freckles" and it was causing her mother to shoot him dirty looks. Fortunately for Zack, his jacket hid his own track marks, sparing him from as many looks from the judgy mother. He couldn't help but wonder how she'd react if she saw the **[JENOVA]** tattoos on their left wrists.

" _Soooo_ ," Zack started, trying to lighten the dreadful mood that had filled the dining room as soon as the other guests noticed they weren't exactly normal civilians. He drummed his fingers on the worn mahogany table as he desperately tried to come up with something, _anything_ , to say to these people that make them stop looking at them like that. "I know we _look_ like we work for ShinRa, but we really don't. I swear." He mentally slapped himself.

"Yeah, 'cause mako eyes are a real common trait in ordinary folk," A middle aged man Ben referred to as Gem muttered as he read the daily newspaper. The headline read " _AVALANCHE Attacks Local Reactor_!"

"Did they succeed?" Cloud asked, his interest piqued.

"'Scuse Me?"

"AVALANCHE," Cloud clarified, motioning towards the paper. "Did they succeed in blowing the reactor up?"

Gem scoffed. "Hell no. All those heathens managed to do was trip an alarm and run off before ShinRa managed to catch 'em. Need to be thrown in prison, every one of 'em. All they're doin' is causin' an unnecessary ruckus by knocking our power out every couple of weeks." He raised an eyebrow at Cloud. "If ya don't work for ShinRa, why's it botherin' ya so much, blondy?"

Cloud slowly unclenched his fist, revealing that he'd accidentally bent the handle of his fork. Zack let out a low whistle at the sight of it and promptly swiped it to get a better look at the damage his friend had done to the seemingly sturdy silverware.

"I just happen to be friends with some people who'd be directly affected by it is all," Cloud grumbled.

" _Sure_ ya do."

"What did you do to my fork?!" Sofia, Ben's wife, asked as she waltzed into the dining room to place another platter of food at the center of the table.

"One of them boys your husband foolishly let in last night got mad and bent it," Gem supplied, not looking up from his paper as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Oh _please_ , Giminy. I'm sure you're over exaggerating," Sofia told him as she collected the fork from Zack, whose mouth clamped shut to prevent him from biting the man's head off. This didn't go unnoticed by the plump hostess. "Don't mind him. He's always cranky towards strangers."

"I am _not_! I'm cranky towards good for nothin' SOLDIERS who think they own every damn thing just 'cause they got big swords and fancy eyes!"

"It's not appropriate to swear in front of women and children," Zack drawled, throwing a glare Gem's way. _So_ _what_ if he was egging the guy on. At this point he honestly didn't care anymore.

"' _Scuse me_?!"

"All right, now. Settle down," Sofia ordered, hands on hips. "Gem, leave them _alone_." She looked at Zack and Cloud in turn. "And the same goes for you. The last thing I need is for the lot of you to end up in a fight."

Gem muttered something unintelligible under his breath, dropping the newspaper on the table petulantly. Zack and Cloud swiftly nodded their heads, turning their attention back towards their food. Cloud stopped mid chew to glance over at the little girl who was once again boring holes into him with those deep innocent eyes of hers. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his neck as he desperately tried to ignore her curious gaze.

"You're a SOLDIER?"

 _Should've saw that comin'..._ His ears turned red as everyone directed their attention back towards him. "N-no. I'm not."

Gem let out a humorless snort, his eyes rolling, but somehow managed to keep whatever snide comment he had to himself as he leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs. Oh how Cloud would've enjoyed giving it an extra little push, sending it, and Señor Asswipe, tumbling to the floor. He turned back towards Zack, who must have been reading his mind, because his eyebrows shot up towards his hairline as he did his absolute best to hide the demonic grin working its way onto his normally gentle face. Half a smirk forced its way onto the blond's lips before he mouthed the word "no" at his scheming companion.

By some miracle, they somehow managed to make it through breakfast without any further incidents, the girl's mother sliding her chair further away from Cloud when he sent a sheepish smile her way not included, and went about paying what they owed Ben before heading upstairs to gather their stuff, being intercepted on the way back down by Sofia who insisted that they were welcome to come and stay again whenever they liked.

"What the fuck was that guy's problem?" Zack muttered as they made their way towards Sector 7. They'd contemplated visiting Aerith first, but there was no guarantee that she'd be at the church. There was also the fact that they wanted to try and avoid the Turks as much as possible, which would be near impossible within the confines of the Sector 5 slums.

"Dunno. Probably has bad history with ShinRa," Cloud supplied as he toyed with the handle of Demon Bat, which was secured to a second belt that, unlike the studded one he used to secure his pants, hung loose around his hips.

"Even so, that doesn't give him the right to take it out on every person he sees with SOLDIER traits." His scowl turned into a devious grin. "We totally should've knocked him over, kid. Would've made my freakin' day to watch him flail."

Cloud rolled his eyes at his friend. "I don't recall you being so evil when we first met. You acted like a saint the first couple of times we hung out."

Zack shrugged. "That's because I didn't know you very well. Had to make sure you could handle me showin' my horns first so that I wouldn't freak you out."

"You're such a dork."

"Wha- Dude, that is totally uncalled for," Zack laughed, his smile actually making it to his eyes in the first time in ages. He playfully shoved Cloud's shoulder, earning a faint smile from the smaller man.

Their playful banter came to sudden halt as they paused just inside the alleyway they'd been traversing. There was, give or take, fifty troopers gathered on the only road leading to Sector 7 that wouldn't involve them going all the way around their asses. A noise of agitation rumbled deep within Zack's throat.

"Of fuckin' course," he muttered, his eyebrows furrowing. He glanced at Cloud. "You wanna take 'em head on, or would you rather we try and sneak around?"

"If we attack and cause a scene, we won't be able to get to the bar without riskin' being tailed. It's not worth the time or effort," He answered, tapping his knuckle against his lips as he thought. "And the longer we stay here with all these guys running around, the more likely we are to get caught." He closed his eyes, a knot forming on his brow. "I dunno, but what I _do_ know is that we need to move before we get spotted."

"We need to think on our feet and dig for hidden option number C," Zack announced, jogging in place.

"C is a letter, Zack," Cloud chided, only to be waved off by the bigger man.

"Details, details. Now what to do?" He stopped suddenly, grabbing Cloud by the elbow and dragging him backwards into a darker part of the ally, crouching behind a grungy dumpster. He couldn't help but grimace as he stepped in a puddle of foul smelling _something_.

Cloud was about to ask what they were doing but immediately decided against it when he heard someone approach the ally, stopping only a few feet from where they were hiding. They held their breaths as they waited for the person to leave, their hearts pounding so hard Cloud was sure he could hear them.

"Whatcha doing, Dosse? Taking a shit?" Called an irkingly familiar voice.

Cloud and Zack locked eyes. "Reno," Cloud mouthed silently. Where there was one Turk, there was always more, which meant they most definitely needed to haul ass out of there ASAP.

"Thought I heard someone," the so called Dosse replied, turning back towards his superior.

"This is Sector 6. Chances are what you heard was some guy nailing a cheap whore behind a trashcan," came Reno's voice again, sounding a tad more agitated than he had before. "Would you get your ass over here already?! Today is _supposed_ to be my day off. I wanna wrap this shit up so I can go home, get drunk, and watch a shitty movie."

Dosse exhaled slowly, casting one more glance into the alley as if hoping the source of the voices he heard would magically appear before hurriedly following after Reno.

After several minutes had passed, Cloud sighed in relief as Zack rolled his shoulders, working the tension out of them. They were just about to stand up when something fell above, hitting Zack in the head. He picked it up, examining it carefully. It was a balled up banknote.

"Would you mind giving that back? That's my movie rental money." They begrudgingly looked up to find Reno leaning over the building next to them, smirking as he pulled out his cellphone. "Tseng. I found the targets."

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **SEPHIROTH:** **You actually did pretty good with the length of this one.**

 **A/N:** **Thank you, Sephy** :) **I would also like to inform those of you that actually read this part instead of skipping past it for the next chapter that I accept outro script requests. I will make Sephy say WHATEVER** **you want!**

 **SEPHIROTH:** (is alarmed) **Wait a minute! Don't I have any say in this?**

 **A/N:** **'Fraid not, buddy.**

 **TSENG:** (over the phone Reno is holding out) **Review or else we might have to perform some... "** _ **Clean-Up**_ **"**


	5. Tall, Dark, & Pissy

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters.**

 **Thank You kindly,** _Her Pretty Smile_ **for pointing out the grammar errors in my last chapter. I didn't allow myself to read over it as many times as I usually do and thus missed several errors.**

 **I's also like to thank** _YumiStar_ **for your review. It made me laugh** XD

 **I'd also like to remind you guys once more that if you go to my tumblr** MyStoryStar **I post chapter updates, head cannons, concepts, and art going to this story. I tag them all** #Barcode ANON **.**

 **I want to go ahead and point out that while I have re-read this over eleven times, it is still quite possible I've overlooked some errors, so I apologize in advance.**

 **Anyhoo, enjoy!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _Tall, Dark, & Pissy_

Reno held a finger over his lips as he walked in front of the accessory shop and began to scale the building, earning himself a weird look from Dosse. He smirked down at the confused man, once again motioning for him to stay quiet before crossing the rooftop and peering over the ledge, his smirk deepening as he found what he'd been looking for. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a five gil bill and balled it up, dropping it on Zack's head.

"Would you mind giving that back? That's my movie rental money," he called as the ex-SOLDIER examined it. Slowly, but surely, Zack and Cloud looked up at him. He smirked once more as he pulled out his cellphone and speed dialed his boss. "Tseng. I found the targets." Reno let out a startled yelp as the lid to a nearby trashcan whizzed by his head, missing him by less than an inch. He swore loudly as he flung himself backwards and landed unceremoniously on his ass, nearly dropping his phone.

" _Reno_! _What's happening_?" Tseng's voice questioned from the phone, snapping the red haired Turk back to attention. He'd nearly forgotten he'd called the man.

"Mr. Tall, Dark, and Pissy tried to take my head off with a trash lid, yo!" Reno angrily replied as he hauled himself back to his feet and made to follow after the duo who'd darted the second Zack flung the lid. " _Dayum_ they're fast! I don't know what Dr. Freakshow injected them with, but I want some." He leaped over the ledge, bouncing off the dumpster and into the alley. "Should I even attempt to pursue them?"

 _"No_. _"_

"Can I get a reason why?" Reno asked as he glanced back towards the open street at Dosse who was staring at the trashcan lid curiously.

" _According to the files Hojo supplied us with, they can run at full speed for over two hours before they even_ begin _to wear out. The chances of you not only catching up, but managing to successfully engage them are ridiculously slim. Speaking of which..._ " Reno grimaced at the agitation building in Tseng's voice. " _Why_ did _you engage them_?"

"I _didn't_ ," Reno argued as he tried to think of a way to keep the Wutai Turk from biting his head off. "I simply said hi and Fair went batshit on me." Tseng made a skeptical noise over the phone. "I'm _serious_ , yo! All I did was climb on top of a building and ask him to give me back the money I dropped."

" _So you startled them_." It wasn't a question.

Reno rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Not intentionally..."

Tseng let out a groan. Reno could practically see the man pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. " _At least tell me that you and Dosse managed to track down the suspect_."

"Possibly. We got a lead that he's holed up in the Lucky Six hotel and we've got some soldiers ready to infiltrate it once we confirm that he is in fact here," Reno informed him as he walked back onto the street. Dosse promptly ran up to him, trashcan lid in hand.

"Did _you_ throw this?" He questioned, concerned -overly so in Reno's honest opinion- as to where the object had come from.

Reno shook his head at the man, his eyebrows furrowed. "No, and can't you see I'm on the phone? Go bug someone else for a minute."

Dosse opened and closed his mouth, debating giving the red haired Turk a piece of his mind, but quickly decided against it. He didn't look like much, but Dosse had seen first hand what Reno could do once provoked. The last thing he wanted was to find himself on the receiving end of his EMR.

The line went silent for a moment, causing Reno to pull away from the phone to check and see if he'd accidentally hung up. "Hello? Boss man?"

" _Can you handle this, or do I need to send Cissnei to your location_?"

"I've got it under control. Have a bit more faith in me, will ya?" A faint _click_ sounded from the phone as Tseng hung up. Reno frowned. "Well, goodbye to you too, Grumpy Pants."

"Sir," A infantryman called as he jogged up to Reno, his tone sounding a little panicked.

"What?"

"It appears as if the suspect escaped out the fire exit some time ago."

"God _DAMMIT_!" Reno yelled, swinging his arms over his head in anger. "Tseng's gonna fucking kill me!" His phone began to ring and he furiously answered it, not even bothering to check who it was first. "What is it?!" His fingers clutched the device so tightly his hand began to shake as he listened to the message being relayed to him. He slung the phone onto the damp concrete, stopping it with his foot as he screamed every swear word he knew and then some. Yep. Tseng was most definitely going to kill him.

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **SEPHIROTH:** **So when exactly are we going to see Tifa and the others?**

 **A/N:** **It's funny you mention that, because that's actually not that far away. I'm actually in the process of writing that as we speak. And** (confetti explodes everywhere) **that chapter is actually gonna be decently long.**

 **SEPHIROTH:** (nods)

 **RENO:** (throwing things in the background)

 **RANDOM INFANTRYMAN:** **Uh..** (sweat drops) **Review...**


	6. Better Run, Better Run

**DISCLAIMER:** **I do NOT own Final Fantasy VII or any of it's characters. All I own are the plot and my OC's.**

 _YumiStar_ **, once again, your review made my laugh. I greatly appreciate it.**

 **Once again, Imma ramble on about how if you go to my tumblr** _mystorystar_ **you will find some art, concepts, updates, headcannons, blah, blah, blah...**

 **Anyhoo, enough from me. Enjoy the story!**

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 _Better Run, Better Run_

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, _DAMMIT_!" Zack furiously repeated as they ran full speed to nowhere in particular. He honestly didn't care where they were going just as long as it was away from Reno and his band of merry men. Or not so merry. Considering how much grunt work infantrymen tended to get, it was probably the later. He was forced to slam on brakes as they rounded a corner to find themselves faced by a chain link fence suspended between the backs of a run down looking convince store and a smoke shop. He instinctively flung his arm in front of Cloud to keep him colliding into it.

Cloud skidded to a halt, bending at the knees as he slid under Zack's outstretched arm. He walked up to the fence and leaned heavily against it, clamping a hand over his mouth as a wave of nausea rushed through him. He was still a tad bit ill from the mako, thus causing his body to react negatively to his sudden fifteen minute sprint. He glanced back at Zack who stared at him in mild concern.

"I'm fine," he said after a few seconds, his stomach settling. He turned his back to the fence, sliding down it until he was sitting. He suppressed a shiver as the cold from the ground seeped into him. Zack slid down next to him, his sword clinking against the fence as he squatted. They shared a look and Cloud sighed. "That was most definitely the old Reno. That glint in his eye was undeniable," he stated, frowning.

Zack released a dry humorless chuckle. He knew exactly the glint Cloud was talking about. It was like that of a cat curiously pawing at a mouse before ultimately deciding to kill it.

He knew from interacting with a few deceased Turks in the Lifestream that some of them had planned on helping them if they got the chance, but despite it all, he just couldn't bring himself to trust the sly fuckers. He knew from experience that their helping hands would only be extended just as long as they themselves weren't threatened. All assistance would be immediately withdrawn at the first suspicious glance thrown their way. That was just how the Turks rolled.  
"Yeah," Zack muttered, nodding. "I don't think it would be a good idea to trust him or the others. Cissnei, maybe, but most definitely _not_ Reno."

The name rung a bell in the back of Cloud's head, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to match a face to it. "Cissnei?"

Zack glanced at his friend as it suddenly occurred to him that Cloud probably still had blank spots regarding certain memories. "You don't remember her?"

Cloud thought for a moment before shaking his head. "The name's familiar, but other than that, nothin'."

Zack hummed thoughtfully, the back of his head tapping against the fence causing it to rattle. "She has reddish hair, brown eyes, and fights with a big red shuriken. If I'm not mistaken, I think you actually saved her life once." He glanced at Cloud once more, feeling a slight bit disappointed at the lack of recognition on his face. "Still nothin'?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Well anyway, she's one of the only reasons we got away from Nibelheim and managed to avoid being recaptured," Zack explained, a ghost of a smile tracing his lips. It was true. She'd not only let them go on _multiple_ occasions, but gave them her bike, which he may or may not have kicked a big ass dent into after it ran out of gas. In his defense, it had been a _looooong_ day and getting stuck on the side of the road in ninety degree weather had been the last straw. "What the hell were they even doin' back there anyway? They couldn't have possibly known we'd be heading that way. Hell, they shouldn't even know we're _in_ Midgar," He grumbled in slight frustration.

Cloud thought back on their encounter with Reno and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed as if he _hadn't_ been waiting on them, that their crossing of paths was completely accidental. "I think it was a coincidence." Zack scoffed and Cloud shook his head. "No, Zack, I'm serious. They were looking for _someone_ , but I don't think it was us. The Sector was on lockdown last night, quite possibly still _is_ , because some nutjob went on a killing spree. There's actually a pretty good chance that's who they're after, not us."

Zack opened his mouth just to close it again. Cloud had a point. "Still, it would be a good idea to get the hell outta here before we run into more trouble."

Just as they stood up and started to leave, Zack heard the sound of someone removing the safety off of a gun. Him and Cloud both froze, turning slowly to find a crazed looking man sticking the barrel of a modified shotgun through the chain links, aiming it at Cloud. He was missing a few patches of hair, making Zack wonder if he'd been pulling it out himself, or had lost it some other way.

 _I just_ had _to open my damn mouth, didn't I?_ Zack thought as he stared the man down, rising his hands above his head, his arms bent slightly. Cloud mirrored him. "Hey, now. We don't want any trouble. Just put the gun down and we'll be on our way."

"No! You'll tell them where I am! They'll take me back!"He screamed, panic flooding his features. His hands trembled as gripped the gun tighter. "I ain't going back there. I'd rather _die_ first!"

"Go back where? I don't know what your talking about," Zack told him, though he had a horrible inkling as the where the man was referring to. _I need to calm the crazy fucker down before he does somethin' stupid_ , Zack thought as he chanced a glance at Cloud. Apparently this was a bad call because the second he did, he saw a bullet rip through Cloud's side. Zack swore loudly before flinging himself over the fence and onto the man, ripping the gun from his slack grip by the barrel and hitting him upside the head so hard it snapped in half. It was only then that Zack noticed two things were off. For one, the gun was empty. No bullets, no shells, no anything. The second thing was that it was cold as ice, suggesting it hadn't been used in a while. _But if he didn't shoot Cloud..._

"Zack, Run!" Cloud yelled from where he was squatted on the other side of the fence, his hand pressed firmly just under his rib cage to try and stunt the bleeding. Zack turned away from him to find himself face to face with a Turk with spiky black hair, the tips alternating between an icy blue and a metallic purple, with a gun pointed at him. He fired twice, one shot hitting the man he'd taken down in the shoulder and the other embedding itself in Zack's right leg, causing it to give out and sending him plummeting to the ground.

The Turk, Allon, pulled his cell phone out and speed dialed Reno, informing him that he not only intercepted the first target, but the ones Hojo had been getting on their asses over as well. "I'm requesting that you send some soldiers to my position-" _What kind of fuckin' accent even is that?!_ "-along with a vehicle to help transfer them back to labs."

Zack felt himself steadily growing more and more groggy by the second, which was strange seeing as he wasn't losing _that_ much blood. He looked back at Cloud, the motion taking more effort than he would've liked to admit, only to find the blond collapsed on his side, his eyes glazing over as he fought to remain conscious. A low grow rumbled in Zack's throat as he heard Allon laugh, flipping his phone shut and returning it to his suit pocket.

"Getting sleepy, _mon amie_?" Allon asked, smirking at Zack as he crouched a few feet away from him.

"The fuh..." He swallowed before once again attempting to talk. "The fuck did you... did you do... to us?"

Allon looked up at nothing as he feigned a contemplative gaze. "Nothing much. Just laced my bullets with a bit of _tranquilizant_." Allon frowned suddenly as he found himself unable to properly translate that last part. "Errrr. What is it you call the medicine of sleep?"

Zack stared at him in confusion. By this point he could barely hold himself up, let alone translate whatever language Allon was speaking into proper english. His eyebrows knitted together as his arms went weak. He blacked out before he even hit the ground.

"Oh well. I guess I'll never know," Allon sighed as he stood and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He leaned against a building as he took a long drag, a bit of ash falling on his pant leg which he promptly dusted off. " _Alouette, gentille alouette. Alouette, je te plumerai..._ "

 **-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-**

 **A/N:** **I do believe this is the longest chapter yet** (cheers) **. I'd also like to inform you that Allon is, in case you haven't figured it out yet, french. I'd also like to point out what he says at the end is actually a children's song that literally translates into** " **Bird, gentle bird. Bird, I will pluck you.** " **A bit dark, eh?**

 **SPHIROTH:** **I like it ._.**

 **A/N:** **Thank you. Anyhoo...**

 **ALLON:** (flicks cigarette) **Review!**


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